Flat led lamp assembly

ABSTRACT

An LED-based lamp assembly with a driver assembly having a base portion rotateably engageable with the socket of a light fixture to make a first electrical contact with the light fixture. The driver assembly has an electrically conductive, retractable tip portion coupled to the base portion and that makes a second electrical contact with the light fixture. The tip portion retracts relative to the base when in electrical contact with the light fixture&#39;s socket portion. A lamp housing assembly operably connected to the driver assembly has a lamp housing connected to the driver assembly. The lamp housing is coupled to at least one substrate having at least one LED light thereon. The substrate is connected to, or is an integral part of, a heat sink that carries heat away from the substrate and/or LED light. The lamp housing assembly is rotatable relative to the light fixture to adjust the angular position of the light source.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application relates to and claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/441,239 filed Feb. 9, 2011, and titled FLATLED LAMP ASSEMBLY, which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to lamp assemblies,and more particularly to LED-based lamp assemblies.

BACKGROUND

Conventional light bulbs and lamps experience significant drawbacks.High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs, such as Mercury vapor,high-pressure Sodium, metal halide and other high-intensity bulbs suchas halogen, high-powered compact fluorescent, etc., produce highintensity light, but the bulbs typically generate a significant amountof heat, have a limited useful life, are susceptible to damage fromfairly rough handling, and can be expensive. Some HID bulbs also containmercury, such as Mercury vapor and compact fluorescents. The HID andhigh-intensity bulbs also typically produce light in a sphericalpattern, such that a significant portion of the generated light from thebulb is blocked or disrupted by the fixtures into which these bulbs areinstalled. Conventional HID bulbs typically include a mogul base thatscrew into a mogul base socket in the light fixture. Conventionalnon-HID bulbs or lamp used to replace HID bulbs, such as fluorescentbulbs or LED lamps, typically require rewiring of the ballast orreconfiguration of the fixture's socket to receive the replacement bulbor lamp. This reconfiguration of the fixture can be time consuming laborintensive, and expensive.

Flat LED retro-fit lamp kits have been developed to provide improvedefficiency and lighting characteristics. The conventional flat retro-fitlamps, however, typically require a fitting that mates with the lightfixture so as to insure that the flat lamp is properly oriented relativeto the fixture when installed. Accordingly, light fixtures that includea mogul base socket or other receptacles for HID bulbs typically have tobe modified or removed and it is necessary to rewire the fixture and toremove existing ballasts and/or head fixtures with a compatiblereceptacle for the flat LED lamp. This retrofit process is also timeconsuming, labor intensive, and expensive.

Conventional incandescent light bulbs also suffer from significantdrawbacks. Typical incandescent medium base light bulbs are extremelyinefficient, relatively fragile, very susceptible to damage or breakage,and have fairly short useful lives. In addition, government regulationsare phasing out incandescent light bulbs, including many of the mediumbase incandescent light bulbs sold in the residential markets.Accordingly, such medium base incandescent light bulbs will not beavailable in their current state and there is no guarantee that themodified hybrid incandescent light bulbs will be as efficient, providefor lower heat output or an equal light output, and there is asignificant need for a lamp that overcomes the drawbacks of theconventional or the new hybrid bulbs.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a flat LED-based lamp assembly thatovercomes drawbacks experienced in the prior art and provides otherbenefits. One of the advantages of the claimed invention is a moreefficient utilization and conservation of energy resources. At least oneembodiment provides a flat LED lamp assembly having a plurality of LEDlights on a circuit bed and one or more heat sinks attached to thecircuit bed. A constant current driver is connected to the circuit bedand is configured to dissipate the igniter or start-up voltage used withconventional HID style light fixtures, thereby eliminating the need tobypass conventional ballast systems. The lamp assembly has a cylindricalbase, such as a threaded mogul base or medium base. The base has aspring loaded tip that defines one of the electrical connection pointswith the socket of the receiving light fixture. The spring loaded tip isconfigured so the flat LED lamp can be rotated relative to the fixtureafter electrical connection is made between the tip and the fixture'ssocket. The spring loaded tip also acts as a tensioner to provideimproved frictional engagement between the base and the socket of thefixture. The lamp assembly also has a “quick disconnect” featureseparating the LED Driver circuitry from the LED circuit bed and theheat sink device. This quick disconnect feature allows for easyinterchange of circuit beds/heat sink arrangements without having toreplace the driver and base. The disconnect feature allows for other LEDcircuit bed and heat sink device assemblies to be interchanged, forexample, when increased lumens or luminous lux is required.

In one embodiment, an LED-based lamp assembly has a driver assembly witha base portion rotatably engageable with a socket portion of a lightfixture to make a first electrical contact with the light fixture. Thedriver assembly has an electrically conductive tip portion coupled tothe base portion. The tip portion engages the socket portion to make asecond electrical contact with the light fixture. The tip portion isretractable relative to the base portion and can retract when inelectrical contact with the light fixture's socket portion. A lamphousing assembly is operably connected to the driver assembly. The lamphousing assembly has a lamp housing connected to the driver assembly,and the lamp housing has electrical contacts that operatively connectedto electrical contacts on the driver assembly. The lamp housing iscoupled to at least one substrate having at least one LED light thereon.The substrate is connected to, or is an integral part of, a heat sinkconfigured to carry heat away from the substrate and/or LED light. Thelamp housing assembly is rotatable relative to the light fixture toadjust the angular position of the light source while maintaining thefirst and second electrical contacts between the driver assembly and thesocket portion.

In another embodiment, an LED-based light fixture assembly has a lightfixture coupleable to a power source and that has a threaded socketportion. A driver assembly has a threaded base portion that screws intothe threaded socket portion. The driver assembly has an electricallyconductive, retractable tip portion coupled to the base portion andpositioned to electrically engage the socket portion when the baseportion is being screwed into the socket portion. The tip portion isretractable relative to the base portion after the tip portionelectrically engages the socket portion and before the base portion isfully screwed into the socket portion. A lamp housing assembly iselectrically connected to the driver assembly. The lamp housing assemblyhas a heat sink with a plurality of fins, and at least one LED substrateis mounted to the heat sink and has at least one LED light thereon.Alternately, the LED substrate and the heat sink may be one and thesame. An air flow device is adjacent to the heat sink and is operable tomove air over the heat sink. The heat sink is configured to carry heataway from the LEDsubstrate and/or the LED light. The LED light sourceand the heat sink are rotatable as a unit relative to the light fixtureto adjust the angular position of the light source while maintainingelectrical engagement between the tip portion and the socket portion.

Another embodiment provides a mogul base lamp assembly for use with alight fixture having a mogul socket. The lamp assembly comprises adriver assembly having a threaded base portion that screws into themogul socket. The driver assembly has an electrically conductive,retractable tip portion coupled to the base portion and positioned toelectrically engage the mogul socket when the base portion is beingscrewed into the socket portion. The tip portion is retractable relativeto the base portion and can retract after the tip portion electricallyengages the socket portion and before the base portion is fully screwedinto the mogul socket. The driver assembly has a driver housing with afirst connection member spaced apart from the threaded base portion. Alamp housing assembly is removeably and electrically connected to thedriver assembly. The lamp housing assembly has a lamp housing with asecond connection member that releasably mates with the first connectionmember. The lamp housing is connected to a heat sink with an LEDsubstrate mounted to the heat sink, wherein the LED substrate has aplurality of LED lights thereon. Alternately, the LED substrate and theheat sink may be one and the same. The LED substrate and heat sink arerotatable as a unit relative to the light fixture to adjust the angularposition of the LED chip board while maintaining electrical engagementbetween the tip portion and the mogul socket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a light fixture with an LED-based lampassembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom isometric view of an LED-based lamp assembly inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top isometric view of the assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded bottom isometric view of the assembly ofFIG. 2.

FIGS. 5A-5E include a bottom plan view, a top plan view, a sideelevation view, a front elevation view and a rear elevation view of theassembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is another bottom isometric view of the LED-based lamp assemblyof FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a top isometric view of the assembly of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an LED-based lamp assembly in accordancewith another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an elevation view of portions of the driver assembly and lighthousing assembly of FIG. 8.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are bottom and top isometric views of an LED-based lampassembly in accordance with another embodiment.

FIGS. 12A-12D include a bottom plan view, a top plan view, a sideelevation view, and a front elevation view of the assembly of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a partially exploded isometric view of the LED-based lampassembly of FIG. 10.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are other bottom and top isometric views of theLED-based lamp assembly of FIG. 10.

FIG. 16 is a rear bottom isometric view of an LED-based lamp assembly inaccordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a partially exploded bottom isometric view of the lampassembly of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is an exploded rear isometric view of the lamp assembly of FIG.17.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged partial front isometric view of the lamp assemblyof FIG. 16 with a portion of the lamp housing not shown.

FIGS. 20A and 20B are enlarged front isometric views of the driverhousing of the assembly of FIG. 16, with internal circuitry not shown inFIG. 20A for purposes of clarity.

FIG. 21 is a partial exploded isometric view of the heat sink and twoLED chip boards, shown removed from the assembly of FIG. 16.

FIG. 22 is an end view of a heat sink in accordance with anotherembodiment shown removed from the assembly of FIG. 16.

FIG. 23 is an exploded bottom isometric view of an LED-based lampassembly in accordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 24 is a top isometric view of the lamp assembly of FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a plan view of a heat sink of an LED-based lamp assembly ofanother embodiment.

FIGS. 26 and 27 are side and end elevation views of the heat sink ofFIG. 25.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes Light Emitting Diode (LED)-based lampassemblies in accordance with certain embodiments of the presentinvention. Several specific details of the invention are set forth inthe following description and the Figures to provide a thoroughunderstanding of certain embodiments of the invention. One skilled inthe art, however, will understand that the present invention may haveadditional embodiments, and that other embodiments of the invention maybe practiced without several of the specific features described below.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a light fixture 1 with an LED-based lampassembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Thelight fixture is connected to an electricity source, such that the lightfixture 1 provides electricity to the lamp assembly 10. As seen in FIGS.2-7, the flat LED-based lamp assembly 10 of the illustrated embodimenthas a lamp housing assembly 11 that includes a lamp housing 12, LED chipboard(s) 14, LED lights 16, and a heat sink 22. The lamp housing 12carries the heat sink 22, and one or more LED chip boards 14, whichinclude one or more LED lights 16, are coupled to the heat sink 22. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the lamp housing 12 is a substantially flat,rectangular frame that defines an open interior area 15. The lamphousing 12 includes a shoulder portion 17 that extends radially inwardlytoward the interior area 15 so as to define a support surface connectedto the perimeter portion of the heat sink 22. The heat sink 22 issecurely bonded or otherwise attached to the lamp housing 12 at theshoulder portion 17. Accordingly, a flat bottom surface 18 of the heatsink 22 extends across the lamp housing's open interior area 15.

In the illustrated embodiment, the LED chip boards 14, each of whichincludes a plurality of spaced apart LED lights 16, are attached to theflat bottom surface 18 of the heat sink 22 so that heat generated by theLED chip boards 14 and/or the LED lights 16, can be drawn away anddissipated by the heat sink 22. The LED chip board 14 in the illustratedembodiment is a conventional printed circuit board, although otherembodiments can use other suitable structures that carry the LED lights16, including, as an example, a SinkPAD™ product from SinkPADCorporation of Placentia, Calif. In the illustrated embodiment, the LEDchip board 14 spans across the lamp housing's interior area 15 and endsof the LED chip boards 14 are connected to the interior surface of thelamp housing 12. Alternately, the LED chip board may be an integral partof the heat sink member, with the LED lights being mounted directly ontothe heat sink.

In the illustrated embodiment, two LED chip boards 14 are attached tothe heat sink 22, although other embodiments can include one or morethan two LED chip boards 14 operatively coupled to the heat sink 22, andeach LED chip board 14 can have one or a plurality of LED lights 16operatively disposed on the LED chip board. In at least one embodiment,the lamp housing 12 can be made of, as an example, a cast plastic, andthe LED chip board(s) 14 with the LED lights 16 thereon can be adheredto a heat sink of aluminum, ceramic or other heat-dissipating materialand then to the cast plastic. In other embodiments, other suitablematerials can be used. In one embodiment, the LED chip boards 14 can beadhered directly to the back of the heat sink 22 using a thermallyconductive adhesive, such as a high temperature thermally conductiveepoxy. In addition, the entire lamp housing assembly 11 can be pottedfor exterior use. In yet another embodiment, the lamp housing assembly11 can be coated with a thin film of sealant material that protects thecomponents of the assembly without substantially decreasing heattransfer to and from the heat sink 22. For example, one embodiment canuse a very thin Florine-based polymer film coating to help protect thefeatures of the lamp housing assembly.

The LED chip boards 14 are mechanically and electrically connected tothe lamp housing 12, such that electricity is provided to the LED lights16 via the LED chip boards 14. The LED lights 16 and the LED chip boards14 are positioned on the heat sink's planar bottom surface 18 in aselected orientation to provide the desired lighting characteristicsfrom the lamp assembly 10. While the illustrated embodiment provides theLED chip boards 14 and LED lights 16 on the planar bottom surface 18, inother embodiments, the bottom surface 18 may have selected sloped orcontoured surfaces so as to selectively orient or aim the LED lights 16on the LED chip boards 14.

The heat sink 22 is configured to dissipate heat generated from the LEDlights 16 and the LED chip boards 14. The heat sink 22 of theillustrated embodiment has a plurality of fins 24 extending away fromthe bottom surface 18 generally opposite each of the LED chip boards 14.Other embodiments can have heat sinks with other configurations of thefins or other heat dissipating elements. The heat sink 22 may be made ofaluminum, aluminum alloy, ceramic, ceramic-based materials, or any othersuitable heat-dissipating material. Further, the illustrated embodimenthas a unitary heat sink 22 with integral heat dissipating elements,although other embodiments can include multiple heat sinks or otherarrangements of head dissipating elements positioned in selectedlocations relative to the LED chip board(s) 14 to carry heat away fromthe LED chip board(s) 14 and LED lights 16 during operation.

The lamp housing assembly 11 is removeabley connected to a driverassembly 28, such that when the lamp housing assembly 11 is in aninstalled position on the driver assembly 28, the lamp housing assembly11 is mechanically and electrically connected to the driver assembly, asdiscussed in greater detail below. The driver assembly 28 of theillustrated embodiment has a driver housing 30 that contains and/orsupports a constant current device 32, such as an LED driver integratedcircuit (IC) or the like. The constant current device 32 is operativelycoupled to the LED chip board 14 and LED lights 16 via an interlockingmember 26 on the lamp housing (discussed below). The constant currentdevice 32 is configured to allow the flat LED lamp assembly to be usedin any current ballast type fixture or voltage input level from, forexample, 85v to 480v. In one embodiment, the driver housing 30 may becast from plastic or other suitable material and may include two or morecavities that will be potted for exterior and wet location uses andappropriately sealed with glue, sonic welding of the housing structuresor other suitable protective closure.

As indicated above, the flat LED lamp assembly 10 is configured to as areplacement or retrofit light element for existing light fixtures, suchas HID bulbs with a threaded mogul base. The conventional HID lightfixtures typically have ballasts or other configurations that provide ahigh voltage start-up surge that is needed to “ignite” or otherwiseenergized the HID bulb. The driver assembly 28 of the present flat LEDlamp assembly 10 is provided with the constant current device 32 that isconfigured to automatically discharge any high voltage start-up surgeproduced by the HID ballast in the HID light fixture. Accordingly, thelamp assembly 10 can be screwed into a mogul base socket of aconventional HID light fixture, and the constant current device 32accommodates the HID ballasts without having to retrofit or rewire thelight fixture 1 (FIG. 1).

In one embodiment, the constant current device 32 is configured withinput power conditioning that allows the lamp to be used with existingsupply voltage and ballast infrastructure, dissipating ignition pulsesfrom the ballast and providing conditioned power to the constant-currentdriver circuitry. Conditioned power supplied to the driver circuitry maybe either AC or DC as required. Voltage rectification, power factorcorrection, and dissipation of ignition pulses may each or all be donewith either passive or active components. As an example of passivecomponents, a simple clamping diode may be used to dissipate theignition pulses.

As seen in FIG. 4, lamp housing assembly 11 has an interlocking member26 connected to the lamp housing 12, and the interlocking memberincluded a pair of electrical contacts 34 electrically coupled to theLED chip board 14 and the LED lights 16. The interlocking member 26 isconfigured to releasably connect to a receiving portion 40 of the driverhousing 30 to provide an electrical connection between the components.

In the illustrated embodiment, the interlocking member 26 projectrearwardly from a rear wall of the lamp housing 12, and the interlockingmember has a “bow-tie” shape with a pair of electrical contacts 34 onthe rear surface of the member. These electrical contacts 34 areelectrically connected to the LED chip boards 14 and the LED lights 16.This bow-tie shaped interlocking member 26 fits into a similarly shapedaperture 35 in a receiving portion 40 of the driver housing (FIG. 5D).In the illustrated embodiment, when the lamp housing assembly is in theinstalled position, the bow-tie shaped interlocking member 26 isoriented at an approximately 90-degree offset from the aperture 35 inthe driver housing's receiving portion 40. Accordingly, the interlockingmember 26 can fit into the aperture 35 when the lamp housing assembly isrotated 90-degrees from the installed position.

In one example, the flat lamp housing assembly 11 is substantiallyhorizontal when in the installed position. The lamp housing assembly 11can be removeabley connected to the driver housing assembly 28 byorienting the lamp housing assembly 11 vertically, so the bow-tie shapedinterlocking member 26 is aligned with the bow-tie shaped aperture 35 inthe driver housing's receiving portion 40. The interlocking member 26 ispositioned in the driver housing 30 through the aperture 35, and thelamp housing assembly 11 is then rotated 90-degrees relative to thedriver housing 30 so that the interlocking member is 90-degreesmisaligned with the aperture 35. Accordingly, the interlocking member 26is releasably locked to the driver housing 30 when in the installedposition, but can be quickly disconnected upon rotating the lamp housingassembly 90-degrees relative to the driver housing 30.

In one embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the lamp housingassembly 11 and the driver housing 30 are configured so the interlockingmember 26 will only fit into the aperture 35 when the lamp housingassembly 11 is in a particular orientation relative to the driverhousing. In the illustrated embodiment, the aperture 35 in the forwardwall of the driver housing 30 has a keyway 70 on one side of theaperture 35. The interlocking member 26 has a similarly shaped keymember 72 on one end of the member. This keyway 70 and key 72configuration requires the lamp housing assembly 11 be oriented so thekey 72 will pass through the keyway 70 as the lamp housing assembly isbeing connected to the driver housing, thereby insuring properpositioning of the lamp housing assembly 11.

After the interlocking member 26 is inserted into the aperture 35, thelamp housing is rotated 90-degrees in one direction (i.e., clockwise) tolock the lamp housing assembly in the installed position. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 9, the keyway 70 in the driver housing 30 isconfigured with rotational stops 74 that restrict the direction andextent of rotation of the interlocking member 26 within the driverhousing. In the illustrated embodiment, the keyway 70 is configured withrotation stops 74 that allow the interlocking member 26 to rotate onlyin the clockwise direction and through a range of approximately90-degrees when the interlocking member is first inserted into theaperture 35 for movement toward the installed position. The keyway 70,the key 72, and the rotation stops 74 are positioned to insure that thelamp housing assembly 11 properly and operatively connects to the driverassembly 28. This arrangement also insures that proper electricalconnection between the components is established, so as to avoidinverting the connections and creating a reverse polarity situationbetween the components. When the lamp housing assembly 11 is operativelyconnected to the driver assembly 28 and in the installed position, theentire LED-based lamp assembly 10 will rotate clockwise to screw intoand mate with the internal threads of a conventional mogul base socket.The engagement between the lamp housing assembly 11 and the driverassembly is sufficiently secure so that the entire LED-based lampassembly 10 can be rotated counterclockwise as a unit to unscrew theassembly from the conventional mogul base socket without rotating thelamp housing assembly away from the installed position.

As indicated above, the interlocking member 26 has the electricalcontacts 34 on its rear face, and the electrical contacts 34 areconfigured to engage mating electrical contacts 36 in the receivingportion 40 of the driver housing 30 when the lamp housing assembly 11 isin the installed position. As best seen in FIG. 9, the electricalcontacts 36 are positioned in the driver housing 30 relative to theaperture 35, so that when the lamp housing's interlocking member 26 isin an installed position in the receiving portion, the electricalcontacts 34 and 36 are electrically connected to each other. When thelamp housing assembly 11 is rotated away from the installed position,the interconnect member 26 and its electrical contacts 34 move out ofengagement with the driver housing's electrical contacts 36, andterminate the electrical connection between the driver assembly 28 andthe LED chip boards 14 and the LED lights 16. This arrangement of thebow-tie shaped interconnect member 26 and the driver assembly's housing30 provides the quick connect/disconnect arrangement between thecomponents while insuring that proper alignment and electricalconnection will be established when in the installed position. Otherembodiments may have other configurations to provide the quickconnect/disconnect interface between the components.

This quick disconnect feature allows an entire lamp housing assembly 11(with the lamp housing 12, LED chip boards 14, the LED lights 16, andthe heat sink 22) to be disconnected from the driver assembly 28 whilethe driver assembly 28 remains in place in the light fixture.Accordingly, a user can remove and replace one lamp housing assembly 11and install a new lamp housing assembly without having to remove orchange the driver assembly 28 in the light fixture 1. Changing of thelamp housing assembly 11 can be done if, as an example, LED lights needto be replaced, or if different lumens or luminous lux is desired. Thequick disconnect also allows one style of lamp housing assembly 11, suchas a horizontal assembly, to be easily and quickly replaced with anotherstyle of lamp housing assembly, such as a T-device usable for High Bayor vertical facing light fixtures. When the lamp housing assembly 11 isfully engaged, it is securely “locked” in place in the driver assembly28 and the electrical contacts between the components will be fullyengaged and energized.

The lamp assembly 10 of the illustrated embodiment has the base 50connected to the driver housing 30. In the illustrated embodiment, thebase 50 is a threaded mogul base configured to screw into and mate withthe internal threads of a conventional mogul base socket 51 of the lightfixture 1 (FIG. 1). While the lamp assembly 10 of the illustratedembodiment is described as having a mogul base, other embodiments of thelamp assembly can include a medium base, or other base configurationsthat can be used with conventional light fixtures without having torewire, rework, or retrofit the light fixture.

In the illustrated embodiment, the base 50 has a metal, substantiallycylindrical threaded sleeve 52 fixedly attached to a mating portion 54of the driver housing 28. The sleeve 52 is configured to operativelyconnect to an electrical contact in the socket 51 so as to establish oneof the electrical contact points between the light assembly 10 and thelight fixture 1. The base 50 also includes a biased, electricallyconductive, retractable tip 56 that defines the second electricalcontact point with another electrically conductive portion in the socket51. The retractable tip 56 is slidably disposed in a receptacle 58 in anelectrically insulated separator 57 the distal portion 60 of the driverhousing 28. Accordingly, the insulated separator 57 is disposed betweenthe retractable tip 56 and the outer metal threaded sleeve 52. The metalmogul threaded sleeve 52 can be cast into porcelain that forms part ofthe driver housing 30. The retractable tip 56 is slidably retained inthe distal portion of the driver housing 30 by a radially extendingflange 61 on the proximal end of the tip that overlaps with a slight rimor flange 59 formed in the housing at the entrance to the receptacle 58.In other embodiments, other retention configurations between the tip 56and the driver housing 30 can be used.

An electrically conductive, contact tension spring 62 is positioned inthe receptacle 58 and biases the retractable tip 56 toward an extendedposition away from the driver housing 28. The spring 62 and theretractable tip 56 are electrically coupled to the constant currentdrive 32, such that when the mogul base 50 is screwed into the mogulbase socket of the fixture, the retractable tip 56 makes electricalcontact with the fixture 1 (FIG. 1).

The retractable tip 56 compresses the spring 62 and moves axially intothe receptacle 58 as the base 50 is screwed further into the socketafter the tip 56 makes initial contact with the fixture's socket. Thespring 62 biases the tip 56 against the electrical contact in thefixture's socket. The spring 62 also acts as a tensioner to keep themale threads of the sleeve 52 in firm engagement with the threads of thefixture's socket, thereby providing improved frictional engagementbetween the lamp assembly 10 and the fixture. While the illustratedembodiment uses a spring 62, such as an electrically conductive contacttension spring, other embodiments can use other springs or other biasingmembers to urge the tip 56 away from the distal end of the driverhousing 30 and to enhance the frictional retention of the lamp assembly10 in the light fixture 1 (FIG. 1).

This retractability of the tip 56 also ensures that the flat lamp canrotate to a desired or proper orientation within the fixture afterelectrical contact has been made between the retractable tip and the endof the socket in the light fixture. In the illustrated embodiment, theretractable tip 56 and the spring 62 are configured to retract so thatthe lamp assembly 10 can be rotated up to one full turn (360°) relativeto the light fixture after the retractable tip 56 makes initialelectrical contact with the bottom of the fixture's socket. During thisadditional rotation, the mogul base 50 screws further into the socketand the tip 56 is retracted and the spring 62 is compressed.Accordingly, the lamp assembly 10 can be screwed into the light fixture1 (FIG. 1), and after electrical connection is initially established,the lamp assembly 10 can be further rotated within the light fixtureuntil the lamp housing assembly 11 is properly oriented within the lightfixture no matter which point the male threads on the mogul engage withthe female receiver threads.

FIG. 10-15 are isometric and elevation views of an LED-based lampassembly 100 in accordance with another embodiment. In this alternateembodiment, lamp assembly 100 is generally similar to the lamp assembly10 discussed above, except for the primary features described below. Thelamp housing assembly 11 of the illustrated embodiment defines a flatassembly that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ofthe driver assembly 28. The lamp housing assembly 11 has a spacer 105coupled to the heat sink 22 on the top of the lamp housing 12. Thespacer 105 can be connected directly to the heat sink 22, or the spacercan extend through an aperture in the heat sink and attach directly tothe lamp housing 12.

The other end of the spacer 105 away from the lamp housing 12 includesan interlocking contact member 26 that releasably connects to the driverhousing 30 in a quick connect/disconnect fashion as described above. Inone embodiment, the interlocking contact member 26 has the same bow-tieshape as in the embodiment discussed above, such that the end of thespacer can releasably connect with the driver assembly 28 of theembodiment discussed above. In another embodiment, an articulateableportion can be provided at or near the distal end of the spacer 105 thatwould allow the lamp housing 12 to rotate from a perpendicular positionrelative to the spacer to angled positions through in substantially anynumber of infinite degrees to a fully parallel position relative to thespacer 105 in some HID light fixture housings. Accordingly, the driverassembly and the lamp housing assembly of the embodiments of FIGS. 2-7,FIGS. 8-10, and FIGS. 11-16 can be interchangeable.

FIG. 16 is a rear bottom isometric view of an LED-based lamp assembly140 in accordance with another embodiment, and FIGS. 17 and 18 areexploded bottom isometric views of the lamp assembly 140. The lampassembly 140 has a lamp housing assembly 142 with a lamp housing 144 andLED chip boards 146 attached to a flat bottom surface 148 (FIG. 18) of aheat sink 150. The lamp housing assembly 142 is removeably connected toa driver assembly 156, discussed in greater detail below.

The lamp housing assembly 142 and driver assembly 156 are generallysimilar to the lamp housing assembly 11 and driver assembly 28,respectively, discussed above, except for the primary differencesdiscussed below. As best seen in FIGS. 17 and 18, the lamp housingassembly 142 has top and bottom frame portions 152 and 154 that connectto the heat sink 150 and the LED chip boards 146. The lamp housingassembly 142 releasably connects to the driver assembly 156 with a maleinterlocking member 158 that mates with a shaped female aperture 160,similar to the interlocking member 26 and shaped aperture 35 discussedabove. In the illustrated embodiment, the shaped female aperture 160,however, is formed in the top and bottom frames 152 and 154 of the lamphousing assembly 142, and the shaped male interlocking member 158 isprojecting from the driver housing 162 of the driver assembly 156. Whilethe shaped female aperture 160 is formed by the top and bottom frameportions 152 and 154, other embodiments can provide the aperture in onlyone of the top or bottom frame portions.

In the illustrated embodiment, the top frame portion 152 has a rear fanhousing portion 164 that projects away from the bottom frame portion 154and is positioned adjacent to the back end of the heat sink 150. Therear fan housing portion 164 is a partially hollow structure thatcontains a pair of fans 166 adjacent to the back end of the heat sink150. The fans 166, when activated, are positioned to blow a flow of airdirectly into and through the heat sink 150 to facilitate heat removalfrom the fins 168 of the heat sink 150 during operation of the lampassembly 140. In the illustrated embodiment, the fans 166 can be highlyefficient, electric, sealed, dust resistant fans, such as fans providedby Sunon® (i.e., Sunonwealth Electric Machine Industry Company, Ltd).Other embodiments can use fans from other manufacturers. While theillustrated embodiment uses two fans 166 carried by the top frameportion 152, other embodiments may use one fan or more than two fansdepending upon, as an example, the thermal characteristics of the lampassembly 140.

The fans 166 are electrically connected to an interface board 170positioned in the lamp housing adjacent to the rear fan housing portion164 and adjacent to the shaped female aperture 160. The interface board170 of the illustrated embodiment is captured between the top and bottomframe portions 152 and 154. The interface board 170 receives powerthrough or from the circuitry in the driver assembly 156 when the driverassembly is attached to the lamp housing assembly. The interface board170 of the illustrated embodiment has electrical connectors 172 projectpartially in the shaped female aperture 160 and positioned to engage andelectrically connect to mating electrical connectors on the maleinterlocking member 158 when the driver assembly is in the installedposition as discussed above (with the male interlocking member in a90-degrees misaligned orientation relative to the shaped female aperture160). The electrical connectors 172 are shown in FIG. 18 as being a pairof pins, although other connectors can be used in other embodiments.

FIG. 19 is an isometric view of the lamp assembly 140 without the bottomframe portion 154 of the lamp housing 144 shown to illustrate theinterface board 170 in position relative to the top frame portion 152,the driver assembly 156, and the LED chip boards 146. The interfaceboard 170 is also electrically connected to the fans 166 (FIG. 18), suchthat electricity is provided through the electrical connectors 172,through the interface board to each fan 160. The interface board 170also includes electrical spring clips 174 coupled to the electricalconnectors and positioned to electrically engage connector pads 176 onthe LED chip boards 146. These spring clips 174 maintain electricalcontact with the LED chip boards to provide electricity to the LEDlights 16 when the driver assembly 156 is in the light fixture 1(FIG. 1) and is connected to the lamp housing assembly 142. Theinterface board 170 can include electrical components, such as controlcircuitry, between the electrical connectors 172 and the spring clips174 and/or the connector pads to control electricity flow in the lamphousing assembly 142.

FIGS. 20A and 20B are enlarged front isometric views of the driverassembly 156 separated from the lamp housing assembly 142 of FIG. 16.The driver housing 162 has a housing body 178 that contains internaldriver circuitry 181 (FIG. 20B), and a front plate 180 that carries themale interlocking member 158 is attached to the housing body 178 toclose off the interior area 184 of the driver housing 162. In theillustrated embodiment, the front plate 180 is removeably fastened tothe housing body 178 with fasteners 182, such that the front plate canbe removed to access the internal driver circuitry when if or whenneeded. The front plate 180 has a pair of air flow apertures 186 thatalign with the fans 166 (FIG. 18) when the driver assembly 156 and thelamp housing assembly 142 are engaged and in the installed position. Therear wall 183 of the housing body 178 also has a pair of rear apertures185 generally aligned with the fan apertures 186 in the front plate 180.The rear apertures 185 allow air to be drawn by the fans 166 into andthrough the housing's interior area 184, through the fan apertures 186in the front plate 180, through the fans 166, and get pushed through theheat sink 150.

The front plate 180 in the illustrated embodiment is integrally attachedto the male interlocking member 158. As seen in FIG. 20, the maleinterlocking member 158 has a pair of curved channels 188 shaped andpositioned to receive the pins forming the electrical connectors 172.These curved channels 188 are shaped to allow the lamp housing assembly142 to rotate the 90 degrees during the installation or removal processwhile maintaining electrical contact between the driver assembly and thelamp housing assembly 142. The curved channels 188 are connected toelectrical elements that, in turn are connected to wires 190 extendingthrough the housings interior area 184 and into the mogul base assembly192 attached to the rear wall 183 of the driver housing 178.

As best seen in FIGS. 18 and 20A, the mogul base assembly 191 of theillustrated embodiment has a hollow base portion 192 integrallyconnected to the housing's rear wall 183. The wires 190 extendingthrough the interior area 184 also extend rearwardly through the hollowbase portion 192. In the illustrated embodiment, the hollow base portion192 includes internal fins 194 extending radially inwardly so as todefine divided chambers 195 within the hollow base portion 192. Thesedivided chambers 195 can receive the individual wires 190 extendingtherethrough to help keep the wires separated and spaced apart from eachother within the driver housing 162, thereby helping to maintain wiremanagement therein. These divided chambers also help keep the wiresseparated near the rear ends where the wires connect to the electricalcontact portions of the mogul base.

The hollow base portion 192 is sized to receive the threaded sleeve 52,which electrically connects to at least one of the wires 190 thatextends through one of the divided chambers. As discussed above, thesleeve 52 operatively connected to one of the electrical contact pointsbetween the light assembly and the light fixture 1 (FIG. 1). The hollowbase portion 192 also receives therein a retractable tip assembly 196.In the illustrated embodiment, the retractable tip assembly 196 has asleeve 198 that extends into the rear portion of the hollow base portion192. The sleeve 198 can include one or more slots 199 that align withand receive the internal fins 194 in the base portion, so that theinternal fins engage and firmly hold the sleeve in axial alignmentwithin the base portion. When the sleeve 198 is positioned in the baseportion, the sleeve works with the internal fins to fully separate andisolate the divided chambers 195 from each other.

The sleeve 198 is a hollow component that slidably receives a biased,electrically conductive retractable tip 200 that defines the secondelectrical contact point with another electrically conductive portion ofthe socket 51 of the light fixture 1 (FIG. 1). The sleeve 198 alsocontains the biasing member, such as a spring 202, that urges theretractable tip 200 rearwardly away from the base toward an extendedposition. The forward portion of the retractable tip 200 is capturedwithin the sleeve 198 and is electrically connected to at least one wire190 extending into the front end of the sleeve. Accordingly, this wire190 connected to the retractable tip is physically and electricallyisolated from the other wire 190 that extends through one of the dividedchambers and is electrically connected to the electrically conductivethreaded sleeve 52. The biased retractable tip 200 is configured tocompress the spring 202 and move axially into the hollow base portion192, similar to the arrangement discussed above. Accordingly, theretractable tip 200 makes electrical contact with the light fixture'ssocket, and the spring 202 biases the tip 200 against the fixture'selectrical contact. The spring 202 also acts as a tensioner to keep thethreads of the sleeve 52 in firm engagement with the mating threads inthe light fixture's socket. This retractable tip arrangement also allowsthe lamp assembly 140 to rotate relative to the light fixture torotationally position the lamp housing assembly 142 in a desired orproper orientation as discussed above.

FIG. 21 is a partial exploded isometric view of the heat sink 150 andtwo LED chip boards 146, shown removed from the assembly of FIG. 16. Thebase 204 of the heat sink 150 has ridges 206 that define channels 208that receive the LED chip boards 146, so the chip boards are held inproper alignment directly on the heat sink's base 204. In theillustrated embodiment, the ridges 206 have substantially the samethickness as the LED chip boards 146 so the chip boards are effectivelyrecessed and flush with the surface of the heat sink ridges 206. In theillustrated embodiment, the apertures 210 and the LED lights are alsoaxially aligned with air columns 212 defined by the space betweencontoured fins 168 of the heat sink 150. In the illustrated embodiment,the contoured fins 168 are generally aligned with the edge portion ofthe LED lights, so that the fins 168 can efficiently conduct heat awayfrom the LED light 16 and the area of the LED chip board 146 carryingthe LED light 16. The contoured fins 168 provide for an increasedsurface area in the heat sink from which to dissipate heat generated bythe LED lights 16 and chip boards 146.

As seen in FIGS. 18 and 19, the air columns 212 between the contouredfins 168 extending longitudinally along the full length of the heat sink150, and the entrance to the air columns 212 are immediately adjacent tothe fans 166. Accordingly, the fans 166 drive airflow directly into theheat sink's air columns 212 and over surface of the fins 168, therebyefficiently drawing heat away from the LED chip boards 146 and keepingthe heat of the lamp assembly 140 to a minimum. The heat sink 150 isconfigured to very efficiently and effectively draw heat away from theLED chip boards 146 during operation of the lamp assembly, such that thefans 166 may not be needed in some environments or operating conditions.In some embodiments, the lamp assembly can be provided without the fans166 adjacent to the heat sink 150.

The heat sink 150 of the illustrated embodiment is a unitary member withthe fins 168 integrally connected at one end to the base 204 andintegrally connected at the other end to a top portion 216. The base 204and top portion 216 are also connected to side walls 218 extendingtherebetween and generally parallel to the fins 168.

FIG. 22 is an end view of a heat sink 219 in accordance with anotherembodiment. The heat sink 219 has contoured fins 220 projecting awayfrom the base 222. The contoured fins 220 each include a plurality oflongitudinal ridges 224 that increase the surface area of the fins 220and that are substantially parallel to the airflow direction through theheat sink 219 during operation of the lamp assembly 140. The heat sink219 also has a removable top portion 226 connected to top edges 228 ofthe sidewalls 230. The sidewalls 230 of the illustrated embodiment haveexternal support ribs 231 configured to engage the bottom frame portion154 of the lamp housing 144 (FIG. 18) to support the heat sink on theframe portion. The heat sink's top portion 226 also has a plurality ofchannels 232 that removeably receive top edges 234 of the contoured fins220. The channels 232 substantially restrain the fins from lateralmovement relative to the base 222. This removable top portion 226 can beconfigured to decrease the cost and/or complexity of manufacturing theheat sink 219.

FIGS. 23-24 are isometric views of an LED-based lamp assembly 300 inaccordance with another embodiment. The lamp assembly 300 has asubstantially circular LED chip board assembly 302 that includes aplurality of LED lights 304 disposed in a selected pattern. The LED chipboard assembly 302 is attached to a circular base panel 306 of a heatsink 308. The heat sink 308 has a plurality of radially extending fins310 connected to and projecting away from the base panel 306. The heatsink 308 also has a plurality of mounting portions 312 projecting awayfrom the base panel 306 and oriented substantially parallel to the fins310.

The top edges of the fins 310 and the mounting portions 312 of theillustrated embodiment are substantially coplanar and support a fan 316coaxially aligned with the heat sink 308 and the LED chip board assembly302. The fan 316 is configured to push airflow downwardly along the finsand through the heat sink 308 to help draw heat from the LED chip boardassembly 302 away from the heat sink fins 310. In at least oneembodiment, the base panel 306 of the heat sink 308 can have aperturesformed therethrough to allows some of the airflow from the fan 316 toflow directly to the LED chip board assembly 302. The fan 316 of theillustrated embodiment can be a sealed, dust resistant, non-bearing,magnetic levitation fan from Sunon® that can provide air flow ofapproximately 116 cfm. Other embodiments can use other fans or haveother airflow performance characteristics to help keep the LED chipboard assembly 302 and other components during operation of the lampassembly.

The fan 316 is operably connected to a driver housing assembly 320. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the fan 316 is mounted to a driver housingassembly 320 by fasteners 322 that extend through the corners of thedriver housing 324, through corners of the fan 316, and extend into andthreadably engage the mounting portions 312 of the heat sink 308. Otherembodiments can use other fastening techniques for securing the fan 316between the driver housing 324 and the heat sink 308. In otherembodiments, the lamp assembly 300 can be provided without the fan 308,such that the driver housing 324 can be secured directly to the heatsink.

The driver housing 324 has a removable top plate 326 that providesaccess into the interior area of the driver housing. The top plate 326is integrally connected to a hollow base portion 192 of a mogul baseassembly 191. The mogul base assembly 191 has a configurationsubstantially as discussed above with the internal fins 194 defining thedivided chambers 195 in the hollow base portion 192, the threaded sleeve52, and the retractable tip assembly 196 to operatively and removablyconnect the lamp assembly 300 to the light fixture 1 (FIG. 1).

The FIG. 25 is a plan view of a heat sink of an LED-based lamp assemblyof another embodiment. FIGS. 26 and 27 are side and end elevation viewsof the heat sink of FIG. 25. In at least one embodiment, the LED lampassembly 10 includes an improved heat sink 122 that has a base plate 124that mounts to the lamp housing as discussed above. The heat sink 122includes a plurality of heat dissipating fins or towers 126 projectingfrom the base plate 124. The base plate 124 and the towers 126 are madefrom Aluminum, Aluminum alloy, or other suitable material. As seen inFIGS. 26 and 27, a plurality of holes 128 extend through the topportions of the towers 126. The holes 128 in the illustrated embodimentare substantially parallel to the base plate 124. Other embodiments canhave the holes in other locations or orientations. The holes 128 act toincrease the effective surface area of the heat sink 122, therebyincreasing its heat-dissipating effectiveness. In one embodiment, thetowers 126 can also have holes 130 therein perpendicular to the baseplate 124, such that a portion of the tower 126 is hollow. This hollowor partially hollow construction can also increase the effective surfacearea of the heat sink 122.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments ofthe invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration,but that various modifications may be made without deviating from theinvention. Additionally, aspects of the invention described in thecontext of particular embodiments or examples may be combined oreliminated in other embodiments. Although advantages associated withcertain embodiments of the invention have been described in the contextof those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit suchadvantages. Additionally, not all embodiments need necessarily exhibitsuch advantages to fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly,the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.

1. An LED-based lamp assembly for use with a light fixture having asocket portion, the lamp assembly comprising: a driver assembly having abase portion rotatably engageable with the socket portion to make afirst electrical contact with the light fixture, the driver assemblyhaving an electrically conductive tip portion coupled to the baseportion, the tip portion being engageable with the socket portion tomake a second electrical contact with the light fixture, the tip portionbeing retractable relative to the base portion when in the secondelectrical contact, the driver assembly having first electricalcontacts; and a lamp housing assembly operably connected to the driverassembly, the LED lamp assembly having a lamp housing connected to thedriver assembly, the lamp housing having second electrical contactsoperatively connected to the first electrical contacts, the lamp housingbeing coupled to at least one LED substrate having at least one LEDlight thereon, the LED substrate being connected to a heat sinkconfigured to carry heat away from the LED substrate, the lamp housingassembly being rotatable relative to the light fixture to adjust theangular position of the LED substrate while maintaining the first andsecond electrical contacts between the driver assembly and the socketportion.
 2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein lamp housing assembly isremoveably connected to the driver housing assembly, the lamp housingassembly being removable from the driver housing assembly while thedriver housing assembly is connected to the light fixture.
 3. Theassembly of claim 1 wherein the driver assembly has a first connectionmember with the first electrical contacts thereon, and the lamp housinghas a second connection member that releasably mates with the firstconnection member, the second connection member having the secondelectrical contacts that engage the first electrical contacts when thefirst and second connection members are in mating engagement.
 4. Theassembly of claim 1 wherein the driver assembly is removeably connectedto the lamp housing assembly, the driver assembly having a first quickconnect portion, and the lamp housing having a second quick connectportion that releasably mates with the first quick connect portion. 5.The assembly of claim 1 wherein the heat sink has a plurality of finsspaced apart from each other, the LED light being positioned on the LEDchip board in alignment with one or more heat sink fins.
 6. The assemblyof claim 1 wherein the lamp housing assembly is rotatable relative tothe driver assembly.
 7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the lamp housingis rotatable relative to the driver assembly through a rotational rangeof approximately 90 degrees while maintaining electrical contacttherebetween.
 8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the lamp housingassembly has an electrical interface board intermediate and electricallyinterfacing with the LED substrate and the driver assembly.
 9. Theassembly of claim 1 wherein the LED substrate is an integral portion ofthe heat sink.
 10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the lamp housingassembly has at least one fan electrically connected to the driverhousing and positions adjacent to the heat sink and oriented to move airacross the heat sink when activated.
 11. An LED-based light fixtureassembly, comprising: a light fixture coupleable to a power source andhaving a threaded socket portion; a driver assembly having a threadedbase portion that screws into the threaded socket portion, the driverassembly having an electrically conductive, retractable tip portioncoupled to the base portion and positioned to electrically engage thesocket portion when the base portion is being screwed into the socketportion, the tip portion being retractable relative to the base portionafter the tip portion electrically engages the socket portion and beforethe base portion is fully screwed into the socket portion; and a lamphousing assembly electrically connected to the driver assembly, the lamphousing assembly having a heat sink with a plurality of fins, at leastone LED chip board mounted to the heat sink, wherein the LED chip boardhaving at least one LED light thereon, and an air flow device adjacentto the heat sink and operable to move air over the heat sink, whereinthe heat sink configured to carry heat away from the LED chip board, theLED chip board and heat sink being rotatable as a unit relative to thelight fixture to adjust the angular position of the LED chip board whilemaintaining electrical engagement between the tip portion and the socketportion.
 12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein lamp housing assembly isremoveably connected to the driver housing assembly, the lamp housingassembly being removable from the driver housing assembly while thedriver housing assembly is connected to the light fixture.
 13. Theassembly of claim 11 wherein the driver assembly has a first connectionmember, and the lamp housing assembly having a second connection memberthat releasably mates with the first connection member.
 14. The assemblyof claim 11 wherein the heat sink has a plurality of fins spaced apartfrom each other, the LED light being positioned on the LED chip board inalignment with at least one of the heat sink's fins.
 15. The assembly ofclaim 11 wherein the lamp housing assembly has at least one fanelectrically connected to the driver housing and positioned adjacent tothe heat sink, the fan being oriented to move air across the heat sinkwhen the fan is activated.
 16. A mogul base lamp assembly for use with alight fixture having a mogul socket, the lamp assembly comprising: Adriver assembly having a threaded base portion that screws into themogul socket, the driver assembly having an electrically conductive,retractable tip portion coupled to the base portion and positioned toelectrically engage the mogul socket when the base portion is beingscrewed into the socket portion, the tip portion being retractablerelative to the base portion after the tip portion electrically engagesthe socket portion and before the base portion is fully screwed into themogul socket, the driver assembly having driver housing with a firstconnection member spaced apart from the threaded base portion; and Alamp housing assembly removeably and electrically connected to thedriver assembly, the lamp housing assembly having a lamp housing with asecond connection member that releasably mates with the first connectionmember, the lamp housing connected to a heat sink and an LED chip boardmounted to the heat sink, wherein the LED chip board has a plurality ofLED lights thereon, wherein the heat sink carries heat away from the LEDchip board during operation of the lamp assembly, the LED chip board andheat sink being rotatable as a unit relative to the light fixture toadjust the angular position of the LED chip board while maintainingelectrical engagement between the tip portion and the mogul socket. 17.The assembly of claim 16, wherein the lamp housing assembly has a fanpositioned adjacent to the heat sink, the fan being electrically coupledto the driver assembly and operable to move air over the heat sink. 18.The assembly of claim 17 wherein the lamp housing assembly has anelectrical interface board electrically interconnecting the driverassembly with the LED chip board, the LED lights, and the fan.
 19. Theassembly of claim 18 wherein the first connection member has firstelectrical contacts, and the second connection member has secondelectrical contacts that engage the first electrical contacts when thefirst and second connection members are in mating engagement.
 20. Theassembly of claim 18 wherein the heat sink has a plurality of contouredfins spaced apart from each other, the LED lights each being positionedon the LED chip board in alignment with at least one of the contouredfins.